1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus which includes a recording head which jets an ink from nozzles on to a recording medium, and a method for recovering a recording head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink-jet printing apparatuses (ink-jet printers) which perform recording by jetting an ink from nozzles, or multi-function image recording apparatuses having functions such as an ink-jet printing function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and a scanner function have been known. Furthermore, printing apparatuses (printers) or image recording apparatuses which include a recovery mechanism for recovering to improve a jetting condition of the nozzles have also been known.
The recovery mechanism includes a pump which removes thickened ink, dry ink, air bubbles and the like by discharging forcibly the ink inside a recording head to an outside, and/or a wiper which wipes off the ink adhered to a nozzle surface of the recording head. Moreover, the recovery mechanism drives the recording head irrespective of a recording operation, and jets forcibly the ink inside the recording head to the outside. Accordingly, the recovery mechanism maintains the jetting condition of the ink to be favorable. Generally, a time elapsed after the recovery operation is carried out, till the subsequent recording operation is carried out is measured, and when the elapsed time is more than a predetermined time, the recovery operation of the recording head is carried out automatically. As a matter of course, when a user needs the recovery operation, the user can command the recovery operation by a button operation irrespective of the elapsed time.
However, in such apparatus, when the predetermined time has already elapsed after carrying out the recovery operation, even when the user commands the recording operation making an attempt to record an image on the recording medium, firstly, the recovery operation is executed prior to the recording operation. Therefore, a waiting time till the recording operation is completed is increased, and in many cases this is both inconvenient and frustrating for the user.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-238710 (FIG. 4 and FIG. 6) for example, in an image forming apparatus (copier, or a multi-function device having a copy function) which scans an image of a document to record the scanned image on the recording medium, a pre-operation which is performed prior to reading the document is considered as an operation which should be performed prior to making a command for the recording operation, and, if necessary, the recovery operation is carried out before starting the recording operation.
More particularly, the recovery operation is carried out by detecting the fact that a cover of a document feed tray on which the document is placed is opened, a size of the recording medium is set, the number of recording papers is set, or the document is placed on an automatic document feeder (ADF). That is these pre-operation is considered as a trigger of the recovery operation. Accordingly, as compared to a case in which the recovery operation is carried out after a command for the recording operation is made, or in other words, after a ‘COPY’ button is pressed, a time from reading of the document till the completion of the recording operation can be shortened.